


excessive admiration

by EasyPeasyPanic



Series: all of my founders era fics [19]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Does Tobirama have a crush? Maybe. Probably., Drabble, Gen, Gift Fic, Hero Worship, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Skipping Training, Team Tobirama, Team as Family, are these kids going to take full advantage of that crush? Maybe. Probably., these kids are absolutely terrible why does Tobirama put up with them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:13:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25209760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EasyPeasyPanic/pseuds/EasyPeasyPanic
Summary: Team Tobirama skips practice by hiding out at the Sarutobi compound. Tobirama gets to meet his idol in person. Sarutobi Sasuke has no idea what's going on.Really, it's just a mess.
Relationships: Sarutobi Sasuke & Senju Tobirama
Series: all of my founders era fics [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1718458
Comments: 16
Kudos: 137
Collections: why im sleep deprived 💖✨





	excessive admiration

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kedrthetree](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kedrthetree/gifts).



> ahhhhhh Sasuke Sarutobi?? What uncharted territory. My new favorite monkey man, despite the fact we have never seen him and know nothing about him except his name.

* * *

Torifu shuffles back into their hideout (which was really just Sarutobi Sasuke's study) with a handful of snacks clutched between his fingers, and Kagami trailed after him with a tray of tea. "Your dad is _great_." Torifu set everything on the table, spreading out the array of sweets from the Sarutobi kitchen. "Look, he even cut up the apples into little shapes."

"And he said he liked my hair. My own mom doesn't even like my hair." Kagami chimed in, far too pleased by the compliment about the wild mop on his head. Hiruzen nodded at them, sympathetically rubbing his hand down Danzou's back as he went through his panic. "What's wrong with him?"

"Sensei is going to be so _mad_ ." Danzou bemoaned, slapping himself on the forehead lightly. "Why did I agree to this? We're _skipping_ . He's going to be so disappointed in me-- _us_." 

Hiruzen kept on rubbing his back, "It'll be alright." He soothed, although that probably wasn't true. "Would you rather do laps? Because today's a running day, and Sensei said we were going to do laps around the border. The village border is too long to run, it'll be _torture_ . We _had_ to skip. For our safety." 

"Exactly." Koharu added in, going through the array of foods on the table. She snatched up the apples, going back to her seat. "And that's what we'll tell Hashirama-sama when he asks why we skipped. We'll say it was _unethical treatment_ , like he said Sensei couldn't do to us anymore. He can't be unethical or gag us when we get on his nerves." 

"Or tie us to poles. Or throw us off cliffs without warning and tell us to use chakra to save ourselves." 

"Right. Or tie us to poles. Or cliffs. Hashirama-sama _said_ he couldn't anymore." 

"But we are still going to _disappoint_ Tobirama-sensei." Danzou cries out, shoving away Hiruzen's hands with a well-placed smack. As if disappointing the man was the worst thing in the entire world. Which, to Danzou, it probably was about the worst offence he would ever commit. 

Kagami scoffs, "Nobody made you come." Which was a lie, because the Uchiha had dragged the poor boy about a mile before the Shimura decided enough was enough and walked by choice. "You can leave." 

"And run laps by yourself." Torifu added, just to really seal the deal. His teammate deflated, arms crossing against his chest in a way that was reminiscent of Tobirama, but he didn't leave. 

"Wait," Homura interrupts, nearly pouring hot tea down his fingers. He flinched away, dropping the pot. "How'd you convince your dad to let us hide here?"

"Oh that was easy," brags Hiruzen. "I didn't tell him we were skipping. He thinks Sensei gave us a day off."

Koharu gives them all a sideways glance, tilting her head. "So he doesn't _know_?" She questions. "He was supposed to be in on this! So he could defend us when Sensei finds us!"

Hiruzen pauses, chewing on his lip. 

"Well he wouldn't have let us stay if I didn't lie. He wouldn't be okay with us skipping out on practice." Hiruzen says honestly. " _Besides_ , Sensei isn't going to find us. We're all hiding our chakra, right? So he'll have to actually track us, and who would think to check our houses? He knows we're smart enough not to be somewhere so obvious. If we hide for long enough, it'll give him time too cool off."

Kagami blinks, "But we are hiding at one of our houses…?"

"Right, but he won't think that we are. And he can't sense us, so it's fine. We'll be safe for _hours_." 

Homura fidgets, his hands coming together and playing with his sleeves. "Wait, so we've suppose to have been suppressing our chakra?"

"Oh no."

"Homura, you haven't been?"

"I _knew_ we would disappoint Sensei." 

"I'm going to kill you, Homura!" Kagami cried out. "I'm going to stab you!"

"That's too messy. Strangle him." Danzou reasons, a little too eagerly, which made the others scoot away from him. Well, except for Kagami and Hiruzen, who both nodded in agreement.

"Right." Hiruzen agrees, crossing his arms across his chest. "So we need to kill Homura, and then figure out what we're going to do because Tobirama-sensei is going to kill _us_."

"Stop threatening Homura. We all knew he was an idiot before all of this, we should have expected this. He really isn't to blame." Torifu defended, shoving the smaller boy away with a shake of his head. But his teammates gave him suspicious looks, and the hefty boy fidgeted in place. 

"You weren't suppressing your chakra either, were you?"

"...no."

"Okay so we _kill_ Torifu too!"

Koharu whirled on them, slamming her fist down. "Nobody is killing anyone. We need to figure out an escape plan. He's probably already on his way here. Get it together." She demanded. 

Danzou nods wisely. "Right, we need a plan. Everyone calm down." He echoes, although as soon Koharu looks away, he slides a finger across his throat ominously at Torifu. "Does anyone have any ideas? We can't go to my clan house." 

"Or to my house in the civilian district." Homura adds unhelpfully. "Koharu?"

"My dad isn't going to believe Tobirama-sensei just gave us the day off. He's _met_ Sensei." 

"So we're out of options." Hiruzen groaned into his hands. "We're going to die. Sensei is going to kill us."

"What if we make a run for the Hokage's Tower?" Homura asks suddenly, the only one of them with any sense at all, if only because he's trying to make sure he survives the rest of the day. "Hashirama-sama won't let him kill us. Or maim us." 

Koharu perks up, "That's the first wise thing you've said today." She slips on her sandals heading towards the door, glancing back. "If we all go different directions, he can't catch all of us. We'll meet there."

A knock to the door jolted them all out of whatever fantasies of safety they might have had. Sarutobi Sasuke peeked his head into the room, hands fiddling with his long dark brown hair as he gathered it all into a bun on top of his head. 

"Sorry to interrupt." Sasuke apologized, offering them his usual smile. "But I think your sensei is here for a visit? He's banging on the door-- it must be urgent. Hiruzen, be a good host and come help me greet him." 

Hiruzen's eyes were wide and terrified. "Well, Dad, maybe you answer the door, and we can wait here--"

"Hiruzen," Sasuke repeats, his arms crossing over his chest. "Your sensei is at our door. I know I raised you better than this. And you two--" He motioned his head at Kagami and Danzou. "You boys have been coming to my home since you were closer to toddlers than teenagers. I know you have manners. Go and greet your sensei. Am I understood, boys?"

"Yes, Dad." 

"Yes, Sasuke-san."

It was like watching a march to the gallows with how they dragged their feet and let their heads hang in defeat. Hiruzen went first, always the bravest of the group with the littlest sense, trailed after by the Uchiha and Shimura boys. Torifu grabbed the snacks, stuffing them in his pockets like a last meal, grumbling the whole time. Koharu tugged at Homura's shirt. 

"Go before me. I want to be as far from Sensei as I can be." 

The boy in question shrunk in on himself. He sluggishly slid his legs out from under him, dragging himself up. "Why do I have to…" He mutters, following the others out with every reluctance in the world. 

Sasuke adjusts his hair a final time, stretches out his limbs, and throws on his best smile. All pearly teeth, like a monkey, in a way that was far too much like Hiruzen. He swings open the door, taking a step backwards, tumbling into the kids. 

Tobirama's eyes are narrowed. He shoves inside the door frame, accusing. "Saru, you are in so much trouble."

Their teacher's arms cross against his chest, and he holds himself rigidly so it looks like he's bigger than he really is-- which to be _fair_ , he was bigger than every single one of his students. But it was a show of strength that made all of the kids scramble backwards, to be a touch closer to the back door and windows. 

(To escaping.)

Sarutobi Sasuke lets out a high, loud laugh. "I hope not?" He said, a hand behind his head. "What did I do, Tobirama-san?"

And there were plenty of things that Hiruzen expected his sensei to do when faced with his father for the first time. He expected a furious admonishment for letting the genin hide in the Sarutobi household. He expected an icy explanation of what the children have done, perhaps to gage where Sasuke stood on the matter. He expected shouting at their expense. Annoyance, anger. Maybe even a Water Dragon to the face. Many things that wouldn't bode well for them. 

However, he didn't expect the reaction he receieved. His teacher turned into a stammering mess. The words die on his lips. Tobirama's face twists into surprise and something else, something unreadable. He flounders, staring up at the man with those unreadable eyes and a strange look on his face. Any anger he had, and whatever he was going to say, it all disappeared at the sight of his father. It struck Hiruzen then that he had never formally introduced them, and that they had probably never met until this moment. 

Oh. _Oh._

He must have been overwhelmed by the size of his father! Everyone was intimidated by the man the first time they met him. He looked a lot like Hiruzen, even if he didn't see it. Except Sarutobi Sasuke was tall. Which, their sensei was tall too, but he was _little_ compared to the Sarurobi patriarch. He was tall and broad-shouldered, towering over their teacher by half a foot. Although he didn't seem very threatening right now, outside of his chest plating. His long, thick hair was pulled up into a bun, and he was still in his _house yukata_ with dust littering it from his cleaning. He looked closer to a disgruntled housewife than the fierce warrior who's reputation preceded him, so Hiruzen wasn't exactly sure what he was gawking at him for. 

"Tobirama-san?" Sasuke prompts, settling a hand a large, tan hand down on his shoulder. "I don't think we've been introduced. Although it seems we both know each other. ' _Saru'_?"

"I meant no...disrespect." Tobirama murmurs, shaking his head. "I meant your son, Sarutobi-sama." 

"Ah, call me Sasuke. Or Saru, I suppose? Please, come in." He swung an arm around the shorter man's shoulders, yanking him inside the home. "It's so nice to have you in my home. I've heard about you! These kids don't stop talking about you. Although, they're hardly your only fans. You'll have to show me that water-sealing technique everyone speaks of sometime?" 

Tobirama's eyes are wide. "I-- you know of _me_?" He murmurs, somehow letting himself be tugged along further into his house. "Of course, I'll show you. My pleasure, Sasuke-san."

Hiruzen watches the exchange in confusion, and then quickly huddles up with his fellow students. "What's going on?"

"Tobirama-sensei is looking at your dad like…" Kagami flounders, searching for the words. He points at Danzou. "Like Danzou looks at Sensei." 

Oh. _That's_ why the stare seemed so familiar. 

"Shut up." Danzou huffs. "I don't look at Sensei weird."

Torifu rolled his eyes, "Yes, you do. You look at him like he could stab you, and you'd probably thank him for the honor." He smiles at the awestruck look on Tobirama's face as the older Sarurobi shoved him into a chair and started fussing with coasters and tea cups and a sweets for their guest. 

"We can use this." Koharu hissed under her breath. "None of us want to deal with angry sensei. We keep him distracted with Sasuke-san!"

"Isn't that too far? Let's just take the punishment. It looks like Sensei really admires Sasuke-san." Danzou questions worriedly, just for the certainty of it all.

Kagami rolled his eyes, "Stop being such a suck up, Dan. It's fine." He glances at the others for help, and Saru accepts the challenge. 

Hiruzen's smile is easy and practiced, and the taller boy throws an arm around his friend's shoulders, yanking him close. Their cheeks brush against each other's drawing his attention to his best friend rather than their teacher. 

"Of course it's not too far." Hiruzen reassures, patting his back. Danzou bristles like a wet cat, although he does cuddle closer, squeezing as tight as he can against his best friend, clinging. "But if you _really_ want to remind Sensei of why he's here, that's fine. We'll just tell him all of this was your idea. And he'll be so _disappointed_ in you, huh, Dan?"

Torifu and Kagami are far too eager to chime in with quiet assurances that they have every intention of helping with the plan. 

"You _wouldn't_." 

"Help us, and we won't." 

Which isn't much of a promise or a reassurance, because shinobi are predestined to be liars and to wiggle around any kind of hint of honesty, so he probably should prepare for the worst. 

But Danzou will take what he can get, if it means he stays within his teacher's good graces. 

Hiruzen appears by his father's side, flanked by the others. "Can Sensei stay for dinner?" He questioned. "It was so nice of him to let us have today off, he should get to have dinner." 

Sasuke brightened. He set aside the snacks he was trying to shove on the pale man. He sat down beside him, far too close, but the Sarutobi clan live up to their namestakes, clinging to those around them like monkeys to trees.

"That's a wonderful idea. Tobirama-san, please do stay for supper. It's so kind of you to let the genin have a day to themselves. I try to do the same for my own clansmen. I believe it boosts their morale and improves their later performance. It shows that you're a wonderful leader, I can tell. I expect nothing less of someone with your reputation, though." 

Recognition flickers in wine red eyes. Tobirama sets down his tea _hard_ onto the coaster, his eyes narrowing at the children huddled behind Sasuke's chair like the tall man was a shield. But even the reminder of his rage at their skipping practice is suddenly overshadowed by the sudden realization of what Sarutobi Sasuke had said, all praises and invitations, and that wide-eyed look returns. Tobirama-sensei's cheeks flushed into a soft pink coloring, and he hesitates. 

It's Homura, to everyone's surprise, that stares him down behind Sasuke's head. It's a tough choice. Either rat them out about their truancy and lose all of the praise he's just recieved from the Sarutobi Clan Head (who he apparently has...a crush on? Or idolizes? Something?) which would potentially ruin dinner plans. Or he can keep his mouth shut about what's happened and keep getting to blush over every word that comes out of the huge man's mouth. 

To everyone's even further surprise, Tobirama-sensei loses the stare down. He turns his gaze away first. 

"I--" He swallowed, obviously lost around the Sarutobi man. "Yes, I did give them the day off. And I would be honored to have dinner with you, Sasuke-san."

"The honor is mine." Sasuke replies, easily pulling the man further under his sway without even realizing it. "It isn't everyday I get the honor of someone with your prowess in my home. You're quite the shinobi, Tobirama-san." 

And all that does is turn his cheeks a pale shade of pink, all the way to the tips of his ears. He fidgets, staring up at Sarutobi like he's the reason that there are stars in the sky.

"And he puts up with _us_." Kagami chimed in, clutching onto Sasuke's sleeves like a child. "And that deserves some praise, doesn't it?"

Sasuke laughs softly, "Well anyone who can put up with Hiruzen and Danzou's constant fighting _and_ all of their foolishness is certainly somebody special." He patted Tobirama on the back gently, scooting his seat closer in that clingy Sarutobi way. "It's a pity we haven't met sooner, especially with how close you are to my son. But I'm always busy with clan matters."

"It's fine." Tobirama rushed out, his cheeks still tinted that bright color. "Though, we have met before. I was young then, but our clans fought together for territory against the Hagoromo. Near the border of the Land of Rice Paddies? You were quite... _impressive._ " He was embarrassed, giving a nervous smile, and his team was thriving over it. They made faces at him behind Sasuke's back. 

"Ah! I remember that. It was one of the few times we allied with the Senju. I'm sorry, I don't recall you."

Tobirama-sensei deflates some, looking close to stricken by the thought of not being remembered by the man. As if it were a personal offense against himself.

"I remember your brother, though." Sarutobi continues on, oblivious to the way the other man's mood seemed to take a turn for the worst at the words. Hiruzen felt a jolt of pity for his teacher, but it was overrided by the joy at watching him squirm. It wasn't often they had their teacher at a disadvantage, and he planned on using it to his full advantage. 

"I can't say I was much impressed by him then. I'm still not. Trees are interesting and all," Sarutobi waved a hand in disinterest. "But how special is the ability to grow a tree in the Land of Fire? Where everything's forestry? If I plant a seed, I could grow a tree too. Now, your sealing techniques? What a rare skill in Konoha. I'm sorry to say all of that. I'm quite the fan of yours, Tobirama-san."

Kagami let out a snort. Torifu slapped a hand over his mouth to contain his laughter, looking far too pleased by the whole situation. 

Tobirama let out a weak "Oh." And didn't meet his gaze again, his whole face burning a deeper red.

"Are you sick, Sensei?" Koharu asked in feigned concern. Her smile was absolutely wicked. "You're so red. Sasuke-san, is Sensei alright? He might have a fever." 

Sasuke blinked, concerned. "Tobirama-san?" He leaned close, the back of his hand against the man's forehead. His face was nearly touching Tobirama's as he examined the man for any signs of illness. 

Tobirama let out another weak noise, though it came out strangled. He glanced at his students, desperate for some sort of assistance as his blush went further down his neck. He recieved none, only some soft, taunting laughter. 

"Tobirama-san?"

In fact, Kagami elbowed Hiruzen _hard_ in the side. "We should see how far we can get this!" The Uchiha said excitedly, just barely keeping his voice low enough not to be heard by the adults. "We'll _never_ get in trouble again if we can make Tobirama-sensei your step-father."

Danzou simmered at the thought, crossing his arms. "Why should _Hiruzen_ get Tobirama-sensei as his step-father? Maybe somebody else on this team wants him as their step-father?" He huffed. 

Torifu rolled his eyes, "Maybe if _you_ had an attractive dad, you'd get him to be."

Hiruzen _choked_. 

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> i will now go write a madatobi fic
> 
> *stage bow*


End file.
